Power-driven sweeping machine



Aug- 31, 1948 A. RussELl. 2,448,328

y POWER-DRIVEN SWEEPING MACHINE.

Filed Jan. 17, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug- 31, 1948-. A. RUSSELL2,448,328

POWEH-DRIVEN SWEEPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 17, 1947v 5 sheets-sheet 2 N'mdAug. 31, 1948. A. RUSSELL 448,328

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Patented Aug. 31, 1948 UNITED srAras eurem orifice POWER-DRIVEN SWEEPINGMACHINE Austin Russell, Elsinore, Calif.

Application January 17, 1947, Serial No. 722,697

6 Claims. i

This invention relates to sweeping machines, and more particularly tosweeping machines of the vehicle-propelled or animal-propelled type.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedsweeping machine for cleaning pavements and the like, said machine beingrelatively simple in structure, eiiicient in performance and dependablein operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved power-drawnsweeping machine 4which is inexpensive to manufacture, sturdy inconstruction and easy to maintain in repair.

Further objects and advantages of th'e invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a sweeping machine constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the sweeping machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken longitudinallythrough' the brush compartment of the machine of Figure l.

Figure4 is an enlarged detail view showing one of the connections of theforward end portion of the brush compartment to the main body of themachine.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view showing in elevation a ratchet drivemechanism employed for driving the sweeper brushes of the machine ofFigure l.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional detail view taken axially through theratchet drive mechanism of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view showing thesupporting structure for the drive sh'aft of the brush-driving mechanismof the machine of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view of a suspensionspring structure employed to support the rear portion of the brushhousing from the body of the machine of Figure l.

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view of a caster andsecuring means therefor employed at the rear end of the brush housing ofthe machine.

Referring to the drawings, ll designates the main body of the machine,said main body having a forwardly projecting drawbar I2 adapted to besecured to a tractor or other source of tractive power by conventionalhitching means. Th'e rear portion of body II is supported 'by leafsprings I3 provided wit-h journal bearing members Iii, llt through whichrota-tively extends an :axle l5 on which are journaled ground-engagingrubber tired Wheels I6, I6. i

Body II is lhollow and the forward portion thereof encloses atrash-receiving space Il. A side door I8 at the lower forward portion ofthe body permits access to the space I'I for removing trash accumulatedtherein by the action of the machine.

Journaled transversely in the lower portions of the side walls of body II rearwardly of door IB is a shaft I9. Telescoped over shaft I9 is aflanged sleeve 20 and pivoted to sleeve 2U are parallel arms 2I, 2lbetween the rearward portions of which are secured the forward end ofthe side wall 22 of a brush housing 23, said brush housing beingreceived in a recessed under portion 2li of main body I I. The oppositeside wall of brush housing 23 is pivoted at 25 to the adjacent side wallof the main body. The rear portion of brush housing 23 is supported bycasters 26, there being one caster at each rear corner of the brushhousing. Each caster comprises a vertical sleeve portion 21 threadedinto a lug 28 provided at .the inner side of the brush housing sidewall, and vertically journaled in sleeve portion 2l is th'e caster shaft29, said shaft being secured to bearing collars 30 and 3l seated `inannular bearing recesses formed at the top and bottom of sleeve 21. Therear portion of .brush housing 23 is further -supported at its top bylinks 32l pivoted thereto, said links each carrying a plunger head 3.3received in a cylinder 34. Cylinder 34 is threaded into a cap member 35which is pivoted to a side wall of main body II. Above plunger head 33in each cylinder 34 is a coiled spring 36 bearing on cap 35 and belowthe plunger head is a coiled spring 3l encircling link32 and bearingbetween the plunger head and the bottom wall of the cylinder. Thesprings 36 and 31 provide a cushioning action for the links, said links.acting a shock absorbers for the vbrush housing.

J ournaled in the side walls of bruch housing 23 are transverse shafts38 andi 39 on which are secured respective roll-er brush units 'ill and4I. The rear brush unit 4I is lower in elevation than the forward brushunit t!) and is substantially in ground engagement. The bottom wall42 ofthe brush housing underlies and closely follows the conguration of thelower portion of forward brush unit All. Pivoted transversely to therear edge of bottom wall 62 is a flap 53 adapted to engage the groundimmediately ahead of rear brush unit 4I, whereby trash may be swept fromthe ground by saidrear brush unit up to the trail.-

Idirected flanged sleeves 4B.

ing ap 43 and into engagement with' forward brush unit 40. Bottom wall42 curves upwardly at its forward portion and is spaced at its top edgefrom the forward edge of the top wall 44 of the brush housing to dene adischarge spout 45 which projects into the trash-receiving space I1 ofthe main body I I. The top wall 44 is provided with' hinged closures 46,46 and 41, 41 providing access to the respective brush units 40 and 4Ifor servicing and repair thereof.

Supported from the side walls of main body I I at its rear portion bybrackets 48 are transversely Said sleeves provide the shackle bearingsfor the forward ends of the leaf springs I3. Journaled at one end in abearing bracket i) secured to the under side of body AII and at ltheother end in one of the sleeves 49 is a transverse shaft 5I. Axle I5carries a sprocket wheel 52 which is aligned with a sprocket f wheel 53carried by shaft 5I, the sprocket Wheels being coupled by a sprocketchain 54. J ournaled in body I I above shaft 5I is a transverse shaft55. Shaft 55 carries a sprocket wheel 56 which is coupled to a sprocketwheel 51 carried by shaft 5i by a chain 53. Journaled in a side portionof body II at its forward portion is a transverse shaft 59 which carriesa sprocket wheel B. Sprocket wheel 60 is coupled by a chain 5I to asprocket wheel 62 carried at the end of shaft 55. Rearwardly adjacentshaft 59 and lower in-level is a shaft 63 transversely journaled in theside portion of body I I and carrying a sprocket wheel 64 which mesheswith the under side of chain 5 l. Shaft 63 carries a second sprocketwheel G5 on which is looped a chain 66 which meshes with a sprocketwheel 61 carried on shaft I9. Shaft I9 carries a second sprocket wheelon which is meshed a chain 68 which engages a sprocket wheel 69 carriedby roller brush shaft 38 and a sprocket wheel 'I0 carried by rollerbrush shaft 39. By the chain connections above described, forwardmovement of the body II, as viewed in Figure 1, produces clockwiserotation of the brush units 40 and 4I, causing trash to be swept by thebrush units from the ground into the trashreceiving space I1.

The rotation of the ground-engaging wheels I6, I6 is communicated toaxle I5 by springbiased pawl members 1I pivoted in wheel-carriedhousings 12 and cooperating with ratchet wheels 13 carried on andrigidly secured to axle I5. Therefore, the sweeping action only occurswhen body Il is drawn forwardly. When the body is moved rearwardly, thepawls 1I slide freely over the spiral surfaces of the teeth of ratchetwheels 13 and the ground-engaging wheels I6 transmit no torque to axleI5.

The rear portion of body I I carries a depending transverse fender 114of resilient metal which extends forwardly of rear wheels I6, I6 andengages a depending transverse fender carried by the rear end of brushhousing 23. Fenders 14 and 15 act as leaf springs to cushion shock orimpact between brush housing 23 and main body I I and also serve toprotect the casters 26 from being fouled by mud or dirt thrown up by therear wheels I6, I6.

While a specific embodiment of a power-drawn sweeping machine has beendisclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed von the invention other than as dencd by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A sweeping machine comprising a main body portion having a pair ofground-engaging wheels and formed with a trash-receiving space, saidmain body portion being recessed at its under side, a brush housingpivotally secured to said main body portion in the recess thereof, saidbrush housing having a discharge spout extending into saidtrash-receiving space, brush means in said brush housing adapted tosweep trash from the ground under the housing to said discharge spout,and means responsive to forward movement of the machine for actuatingthe brush means.

2. A sweeping machine comprising a main body portion having a pair ofground-engaging wheels and formed with a trash-receiving space, saidmain body portion being recessed at its under side, a brush housingpivotally secured to said main body portion in the recess thereof, saidbrush housing having a discharge spout extending into saidtrash-receiving space, a plurality of rotary brushes journaledtransversely in said housing, one of said brushes being substantially inground engagement, means carried by the housing for guiding trash sweptby said one brush into the housing, means for guiding such trash to saiddischarge spout, and means responsive to forward movement of the machinefor revolving the brushes.

3. A sweeping machine comprising a main body having a pair ofground-engaging wheels at its rear end portion and a trash-receivingcompartment at its forward end portion, the under side of the body beingrecessed at its intermediate portion, a brushhousing in the recessedintermediate portion, means pivotally securing the brush housing to theforward portion of said main body, said housing having a discharge spoutextending into the trash-receiving compartment, a pair of longitudinallyspaced rotary brushes journaled transversely inv said housing, therearward brush being below the level of the forward brush andsubstantially in ground engagement, the bottom wall of the housingterminating short of the rearward brush, a groundengaging flap pivotedto the rear edge of said bottom wall and extending adjacent saidrearward brush, said bottom wall being forwardly curved to substantiallyfollow the under periphery of the forward brush and terminatingforwardly at said discharge spout, and means responsive to forwardmovement of the machine for synchronously revolving the brushes.

4. A sweeping machine comprising a main body having a drawbar at itsforward end and apair of ground-engaging wheels at its rear end portion,said body being formed at its forward end portion with a trash-receivingcompartment, the under side of the body being recessed at itsintermediate portion, a brush housing in the recessed intermediateportion, means pivotally connecting the forward end of the housing tothe forward portion of the body, spring means connecting the rearportion of the housing to the under side of the body, said housinghaving a discharge spout at its forward end extending into thetrash-receiving compartment, a pair of longitudinally spaced rotarybrushes journaled transversely in said housing at different levels, therear brush being substantially in ground engagement, the bottom wall ofsaid housing defining guide means for guiding trash from said rear brushto said discharge spout, and means oper-- ated by said ground-engagingwheels for synchronously revolving said brushes.

5. A sweeping machine comprising a main body having a drawbar at itsforward end and a pair of ground-engaging wheels at its rear endportion, said body being formed at its forward end portion with atrash-receiving compartment, the under side of the body being recessedat its inter mediate portion, a brush housing in the recessedintermediate portion, means pivotally connecting the forward end of thehousing to the forward portion of the body, spring means connecting the4rear portion of the housing to the under side of the body, said housinghaving a discharge spout at its forward end extending into thetrashreceiving compartment, a pair of longitudinally spaced rotarybrushes journaled transversely in said housing at diierent levels, therear brush being substantially in ground engagement, the bottom wall ofsaid housing defining a guideway for guiding trash from the brushes tosaid dism charge spout, an axle for the ground-engaging wheels, meansrotatively supporting said axle beneath the rear end portion of thebody, means operated responsive tc rotation of said axle forsynchronously revolving the brushes, and a pawland-ratchet couplingbetween the axle and the ground-engaging wheels.

6. A sweeping machine comprising a main body portion having a pair orground-engaging wheels and formed with a trash-1'eceiving space, saidmain body portion being recessed at its under side, a brush housingincluding opposite ends, means pivotally securing one or said ends tosaid main body portion Within said recess, ground-l engaging rollablemeans supporting the other end of said housing, sliocbabsorbing meansconnecting said last-named end of said housing to said main bodyportion, said brush housing having a discharge spout extending into saidtrash receiving space, brush means in said brush housing; adapted tosweep trash from the ground under the housing to said discharge spout,and means responsive to forward movement ci the machine for actuatingthe brush means.

AUSTIN RUSSELL.

